_________________Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?-Epicurus

Maybe not. I was told about Mansell doing a personal appearance and the price being rather expensive. They went ahead and got him anyway, on the day of the gig when it came to paying him he told them to make the cheque out to one of the charities he supports.

Maybe not. I was told about Mansell doing a personal appearance and the price being rather expensive. They went ahead and got him anyway, on the day of the gig when it came to paying him he told them to make the cheque out to one of the charities he supports.

So he basically did the gig for free and every penny went to charity.

I know he used to be high up, if not at the top of Haymarket group a few years back - might still be. So he's probably doing ok. That's pretty cool about the charity donation.

As much as I think the new Fusion/Mondeo is a great car for its class, this video was like watching an episode of American TV with bad product placement. While it is out and out a marketing video so that is the point of it it is laughably unsubtle. I remember watching an episode of 24 that Kia had sponsored and they put a scene where one of the main special agent characters had to do a quick reverse up a street and instead of leaning around like people would do in real life he switched on the reverse camera - just so the show could show this car came with a reverse camera.

This was exactly the same, which as I said, isn't surprising given that it is just a marketing video for the new Fusion/Mondeo but it was comical just how unsubtle it was "and if we hit each other [this car comes with wing mirrors that knock back]" "look at it's smooth lines.... yes, it does have a very aerodynamic shape" etc etc...

Still a fun video, for a marketing campaign, but equally amusing at the sledgehammer approach taken towards the way it shows off its product.

The engineer tells NP of the technologically advanced features of the car, and at 1:30, Piquet says about the car (in portuguese): "Seems it's going to be an easy car for Mansell to drive"

Really funny comment from Piquet about Mansell! Nelson always was a naughty guy, with a good sense of humour. He once referred to Senna as 'that Sao Paulo taxi-driver'. To me this was hilarious, but Ayrton took it as an insult! Fell right into Piquet's trap.

So they're adverts for a Ford Fusion car? After the first I thought it was a new seniors series or something.

I love the way they seldom had them in the same shot, as if they could hardly bear to be in the same room together. It was only a few years ago Piquet snr called Mansell's sons 'nincompooper drivers', I guess there's still some needle there.

_________________Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?-Epicurus

So they're adverts for a Ford Fusion car? After the first I thought it was a new seniors series or something.

I love the way they seldom had them in the same shot, as if they could hardly bear to be in the same room together. It was only a few years ago Piquet snr called Mansell's sons 'nincompooper drivers', I guess there's still some needle there.

Well I never knew that, but he's not one to talk really is he

Still it was a good advertising campaign, a damn sight better than a load of Corsa's riding around puffing coloured smoke everywhere like they're engines are gonna blow up! But has anyone else noticed that Ford are using that distinctly 'Aston Martin-esque' shape on the grill on a lot of it's range, most notably the new Fiesta and Fusion?

_________________There is no theory of evolution, just a list of animals that Chuck Norris allows to live.

So they're adverts for a Ford Fusion car? After the first I thought it was a new seniors series or something.

I love the way they seldom had them in the same shot, as if they could hardly bear to be in the same room together. It was only a few years ago Piquet snr called Mansell's sons 'nincompooper drivers', I guess there's still some needle there.

Well I never knew that, but he's not one to talk really is he

Still it was a good advertising campaign, a damn sight better than a load of Corsa's riding around puffing coloured smoke everywhere like they're engines are gonna blow up! But has anyone else noticed that Ford are using that distinctly 'Aston Martin-esque' shape on the grill on a lot of it's range, most notably the new Fiesta and Fusion?

So they're adverts for a Ford Fusion car? After the first I thought it was a new seniors series or something.

I love the way they seldom had them in the same shot, as if they could hardly bear to be in the same room together. It was only a few years ago Piquet snr called Mansell's sons 'nincompooper drivers', I guess there's still some needle there.

How'd you miss that one? It does say Ford Fusion Challenge and from the very beginning you can see they were plain jane Fords off the assembly line.Race car versions are bare bones and contain only what is absolutely necessary for racing. These cars had the windows up so I'd imagine perhaps A/C unless it was cold out. Either way, it was cool they actually went toe to toe but I think it was a bit too Nascar with all the contact. LOL

Personally, I'm a bit surprised Mansell would agree to something like this with of all people Piquet. Piquet was known to be a prankster wise guy and the funny man behind the scenes in F1 throughout his career, but with Mansell he got right down dirty and personal and took things too far a few times. Of course a great deal had to do with mind games and getting into other drivers' heads, but there are lines you should never cross and boy did he. Eventually I think he realized Mansell was the one guy who probably drove better and damn near flawless when you tiddled him off and towards the end of his career didn't say much, if anything about Mansell.

Good to see two legends on track. Thanks for this Daniel, twas a real treat!

Piquet (...) Eventually I think he realized Mansell was the one guy who probably drove better and damn near flawless when you tiddled him off

I don't think so. I am dead sure Piquet rates himself higher. I also would place Piquet above Mansell, definitely, and i'm not alone on this opinion. For me, NP was more complete, and achieved way more. Won championships in techically different seasons, with and without active suspension, with and without ground-effects, with and without turbos. Supremely gifted regarding the car-setup/technical matters of F1 (on this i'd say on par with Prost), and very versatile, sometimes smooth at the wheel, sometimes aggressive. His pass on Senna on the 1986 Hungarian GP shows the guy had excellent car control as well.

As Prost said: on the beginning of his F1 career "Piquet was the benchmark. A very tough competitor."

We all know what the results were when Prost and Mansell were on the same team. Yes, i know, the team favored Prost more, but still... Prost got almost double the points. If Prost and Piquet would have been teammates, i bet the difference would have been much smaller (although my vote still would be on Prost). Both Senna and Mansell were members of the "Bohohooo We Hate Prost, He's a Coward" club and i would have loved to see a Senna/Mansell team pairing versus Prost/Piquet. That would have been the ultimate 80s fight!

I think the perception of NP around here it's down to british press bias. On non-UK places Italy, for example, Piquet is idolized, still to this day. I recall a fantasticly produced video documenting F1 of the 80s done by the "Gazetta dello sport", and the F1 commentators don't stop in their glowing praise for Nelson Piquet. They adored him. It's a cultural thing: For example, once NP was on the paddock with a t-shirt that read something like "NELSON PIQUET: THE BEST STRAIGHT BRAZILIAN DRIVER" in allusion to Ayrton Senna. On british countries that is a terrible insult, a crossing of the line. On latin-american countries, that is just a joke; no F1 journalist would be outraged.

That being said, on this particular video Mansell comes out as the gentleman (and better at the wheel too). Applause for Nige.

Thanks but I am well aware of all you just wrote. I think you misunderstood me. I know Nelson rates himself higher, as do I. What I was saying is that Mansell, unlike anyone else who's head Piquet tried to mess with, drove better and more focussed when he was tiddled. Piquet being the ever clever guy, eventually realized this and didn't push Mansell's buttons as much towards the end of his career. He did so just enough to be an annoyance and make sure he was in Mansell's head, but quit taking it to the point things got personal.

Now that Prost/Piquet vs Mansell/Senna… it would have been the stuff of legend and I don't think there would have been any battle to rival something like that. I often wonder how things would have unfolded in 87-89 if Piquet had been Prost's teammate at McLaren. The history books would look quite a bit different. Regarding cry babies, I think it's worth mentioning, Piquet had a superbly wild sense of humor and though with Mansell things did get personal, he was the consummate professional when it came to the safety of his fellow drivers and calling things as the were. The way he spoke up on Senna's behalf in the drivers meeting proves there was no malice in his heart towards anyone outside of perhaps Mansell on a few occasions.

As for the shirt incident, I've read about it and heard it mentioned MANY times over the years but have never seen a pic or video of it. He was something else!!! LOLOLOL

"My biggest challenge: to win the WDC within a British team and a British team-mate"."I did everything to destabilize him, morally, emotionally...""The team was draining all of my experience but wanting him to win "."Mansell says he won one but could've won four titles. I won three but it could've been six". (laughs)"I didn't start it (bumping the Fusions on track). He started bumping me and I showed him I hit hard too. I learned to do that all my life". (laughs)

Thanks but I am well aware of all you just wrote. I think you misunderstood me. I know Nelson rates himself higher, as do I. What I was saying is that Mansell, unlike anyone else who's head Piquet tried to mess with, drove better and more focussed when he was tiddled. Piquet being the ever clever guy, eventually realized this and didn't push Mansell's buttons as much towards the end of his career. He did so just enough to be an annoyance and make sure he was in Mansell's head, but quit taking it to the point things got personal.

Very interesting.

the incubus wrote:

I think it's worth mentioning, Piquet had a superbly wild sense of humor and though with Mansell things did get personal, he was the consummate professional when it came to the safety of his fellow drivers and calling things as the were. The way he spoke up on Senna's behalf in the drivers meeting proves there was no malice in his heart towards anyone outside of perhaps Mansell on a few occasions.

This!!

the incubus wrote:

As for the shirt incident, I've read about it and heard it mentioned MANY times over the years but have never seen a pic or video of it. He was something else!!! LOLOLOL

I don't think so. I am dead sure Piquet rates himself higher. I also would place Piquet above Mansell, definitely, and i'm not alone on this opinion. For me, NP was more complete, and achieved way more. Won championships in techically different seasons, with and without active suspension, with and without ground-effects, with and without turbos. Supremely gifted regarding the car-setup/technical matters of F1 (on this i'd say on par with Prost), and very versatile, sometimes smooth at the wheel, sometimes aggressive. His pass on Senna on the 1986 Hungarian GP shows the guy had excellent car control as well.

And then he met a 22 year old Michael Schumacher. chocolate fudge cake.

The most Piquet has ever made me laugh, was on a season review of either 1989 or 1990 where at start they introduce every driver one by one and they are all deadly serious, and then Nelson pops up and pulls the most animated face possible right into the camera.

That's because you don't have the type of sense of humor to understand his humor. Piquet is a sly fox with one helluva sense of humor. I mean, the sheer brilliance behind "THE BEST STRAIGHT BRAZILIAN DRIVER" gag was genius for many reasons. It tiddled off Senna and got Piquet in his head and it provided a hearty chuckle for many countless others. THAT kind of thing takes testicular fortitude but at the same time you have to keep in mind that anything at this level required mental focus so the bit of strategy behind it was about getting under one of his rival's skin. The other thing it accomplished was ensuring certain other drivers steered clear a bit as they didn't want to be the but of one of his jokes. In all though I think everyone realized it was in good fun and a play on Senna's homophobia as is quite common with many hispanic cultures, especially during that time. Piquet and the world knew Ayrton was a ladies man and got around quite a bit so no real harm done other than Senna's macho being questioned.

Some folks also tend to call it how it is and pull no punches and I think that's how to best describe Nelson. Like him or hate him, he is going to speak honestly and if it hurts someones feelings, oh well.

The most Piquet has ever made me laugh, was on a season review of either 1989 or 1990 where at start they introduce every driver one by one and they are all deadly serious, and then Nelson pops up and pulls the most animated face possible right into the camera.

I admire his honesty as well. As much as I adore Senna, Nelson kept to his feelings by not attending his funeral. As said above, he also spoke up for Senna in that drivers meeting despite not liking him. That does show character.

It wasn't so much that he disliked Senna, it was more the case of he couldn't and didn't want to be bothered by his whining and crying while at the same time exercising such ruthlessness on track. In certain aspects, Senna was a bit of a hypocrite. Advocating for increased safety while pulling downright dangerous moves on track increasing the danger factor unnecessarily so. As well, right up until the time Senna came into the sport, Piquet was Brazil's champion and arguably the best in the sport with Prost showing signs of brilliance that could potentially make him the next torch bearer. Keeping in mind that Piquet paid some serious dues as he made his own way into F1, these new well-off kids coming in jumping right into seats would've likely not sat swell and he was not alone in that regard.

In my view, Piquet Senior is just a straight shooter and unfortunately, sometimes the truth doesn't sit well with people. Here are some quotes from Piquet Senior from back in 2003:

Autosport.com "Triple world champion Nelson Piquet believes that Michael Schumacher is already a better racing driver than the late Ayrton Senna and could well be the greatest racing driver ever.

Piquet, who won titles in 1981, '83 and '87, is now overseeing a team in the British Formula 3 Championship which runs his son Nelson Angelo Piquet. The Brazilian was Schumacher's first team-mate at Benetton in 1991 and raced and beat Senna to the '87 crown.

“Michael Schumacher is the best by far right now and can be the best ever, if he is not already,” Piquet was quoted as saying in the Daily Express newspaper. “If you take all the electronics off the car, Schumacher will be much better than most drivers, much better than Rubens Barrichello, much better in the same Ferrari.

“Schumacher can be the best ever. He did something that many good drivers did not do by moving teams to make another better. He had the courage to go for a team that was not strong. Ferrari had not won the championship for 21 years.

“Senna always wanted to go for the best team. It was the same when he went from McLaren to Williams. For me this makes Schumacher much better than Senna, and I say this as a Brazilian.”

Either way, if there's one F1 Driver who's life story is sure to grab my attention, it's Nelson Piquet Senior. You'd be hard pressed to find someone else with a more difficult road to the big leagues. Someone please make a movie on him! LOL